1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to image scanning. More particularly, the present invention is related to scanning three-dimensional images of an object to create a holographic image or to create a panoramic view of a scene into a digital or analog format.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Holographic images have delighted people for many years. However, creating realistic holographic images has been a problem. The most difficult problem is not with the camera, but with the mechanisms used to position the camera around the object of the hologram. In one prior art system, the object is placed on a bench and the camera is moved slowly around the object, taking pictures along the way. Fairly heavy and cumbersome equipment must be used to minimize the vibration of the camera as it circumnavigates the object. Otherwise the resulting holographic image is blurred. Even with the heavy equipment, however, vibration-induced blurring cannot be eliminated.
An alternative prior art system places the object on a turntable. While this allows the camera to remain stationary, this alternative prior art system merely shifts the vibration problem from the camera to the object with similar blurred results. As with the moveable-camera prior art system, the holographic image is subject to additional blurring if the mechanism used to monitor the rotation of the camera or the rotation of the object is out of alignment.
Prior art systems for taking panoramic images suffered from problems similar to their holographic counterparts. For panoramic photographs, the camera is mounted onto a turntable and rotated while taking periodic snapshots of the surrounding scene. Again, as with the prior art holographic systems, the panoramic systems of the prior art are subject to vibration-induced blurring. Solutions have been devices to minimize or eliminate the vibration-induced blurring problem, however, these solutions often entail stopping the camera periodically, allowing the deceleration forces to dampen, and then snatch a photograph before moving on. Unfortunately, while this solution does reduce blurring, it does take considerably longer and is not suited to real-time or near real-time image (data) acquisition.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a system and method for taking holographic and panoramic images quickly and with little or no blurring.